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5/08/2012

Today's mutiny against status quo - hunger

Yeah, I'm just getting started with my list of things I'm not ok with on our planet. Yesterday was clean water for drinking and sanitation, today is food.

There are starving people all over the planet. From western Africa to our local community here in Ohio. It's easy to have compassion and reach out to people in your own community through local food banks and family services. Which we have done and will continue to do in the future.

But if you take a step back and look at the problem from a global perspective the reality of the situation looks a lot nastier. The problem looks less like a nutcase who uses food stamps so she can afford an iphone, and more like desperate families who can't provide for themselves because of drought, famine, and war. Families who, in some cases are spending 70% of their income on food.

As I write this he countries of Niger, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, and Senegal in Western Africa are facing a rise in the cost of food, and a drought. This nasty combination has placed millions in need of immediate assisstance. With pregnant mothers and children under five being the most vulnerable to starvation. The situation is made more fun and special by wars and violence through out the region.

So, here we have hungry mommies and babies, who are afraid to leave home to get water not only for their crops, but also drinking and sanitation. And no rain. And no Walmart.

I am not ok with that.

While there's not much we can do about the rain situation, World Vision has responded with not only nutritional education and assistance for young children, seed distribution and livestock assistance, but they are right there in the political realm with national and local leadership in these countries as well as the UN.

But we all know that we, as global citizens, have the privilege and obligation to stand up and say that it is not ok for hungry mommies to not be able to provide for their families. Tweet it, post it, email your congressmen.

Again, I'm not asking you for a handout on their behalf. I'm just asking you to use what you have to say enough is enough.